CSA 2010: It’s Here

Originally set for implementation in July, the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 program, designed to reduce commercial vehicle crashes, was delayed for adjustments. It goes into effect at the end of November, and drivers have been chewing over what it all means to them in real terms. In some cases the hows and what-ifs led to speculation that got passed around as fact. Here are some areas that worry drivers about CSA 2010, and the facts relating to those fears, according to the FMCSA:

1. Driver fitness requirements will disqualify certain truckers based on their BMI (Body Mass Index, a measure of fat percentage) or the thickness of their necks. There are no new measurements for driver fitness. Fitness refers to a trucker’s ability to operate a vehicle. That may include medical conditions that interfere with safe operation of a vehicle. The driver safety issues that CSA 2010 is looking at include: driving while disqualified, driving without a valid CDL, making a false entry on a medical certificate and committing numerous HOS violations.

2. I can lose my CDL if I get too many points in an inspection. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which implements CSA 2010, cannot revoke a CDL. Any points assigned to a driver are used to assess the carrier he or she is driving for, and are completely separate from the CDL licensing system.

3. New rules to learn! More paperwork! CSA 2010 is meant to more effectively enforce existing rules for commercial drivers. However, that means that drivers are being held more accountable, so it’s not a bad idea to understand what investigators will be looking for under CSA 2010, to be rigorous in following safety rules and regulations and to keep copies of inspection reports.